I know a guy in Texas when he transplant his tomatoes gives it a handful of sugar Epsom salts and multi vitamin has the best tomatoes I have ever had it works he has 5 raised beds 16 plants a bed he gets between 1000 to 1300 pounds a year
The sweetest tomatoes I've ever grown were also the smallest variety and it grew from my cold compost and was first to ripen of any of my tomatoes by a large margin. It produced a crazy amount of them too and because they were small they made a great snack by themselves. Variety makes a huge difference to the glucose and fructose content. I also think a lot of people pick tomatoes way too early, and that larger varieties need more sun exposure to fully vine ripen and increase evapotranspiration to concentrate sugars.
It's amazing what people will fall for. As for me, I've found dancing naked at dawn around my plants works best....oh wait, that's what killed half my plants, caused 2 neighbors to have coronaries and a police visit to my home, so don't do that either!
Thanks Luke, you posted another fantastic video. I did all the right things for all the wrong reasons. The plants are usually watered heavily after planting, then we 'back off' of the water supply to encourage the roots to go deep into the soil (this might or might not be true), but our fruit is ALWAYS super sweet, and thanks to you, now we know why. Thanks again, Happy gardening !!!
I'm watching your videos out of order, but loving them. The previous one, filmed July 2017, you helped us avoid blight by increasing air circulation with pruning bottom branches, fortnightly applications of baking soda remedy & sunny conditions. I can see you learnt a lot in just a year, as well. Thanks for sharing your successes & failures with us out here in youtubeland!
2:12 I'm so glad Mi dude got it correct that growing basil and tomatoes is a "hypothesis" (not a theory). So many people get those two mixed up and it drives me crazy (It's a hypothesis because growing basil and tomatoes is an "educated guess", but not scientifically proven which would then make it a theory).
I grew a beautiful crop of basil with my tomatoes and do not taste any difference in the tomatoes. But you're right to two scents together are wonderful.
Great info! I'm in costal SC, so I should do well with tomatoes this year. Last year my garden was a total failure (first attempt) but I'm much more educated this year thanks to your channel and a few others. Just ordered some seeds from you, I'm so excited to see what the garden will do this year.
I have one heirloom variety and one cherry that produces tons of fruit. Interestingly, when doing a side by side comparison, the cherry tomatoes are actually much sweeter than the heirlooms, but the heirlooms taste so much better, with a very rich and complex blend of sweet and tangy/acidic, whereas the cherries just taste sweet. So for my tastes at least, sweetness is not always the end-all-be-all in a tomato. Great video, thanks!
I'm confused when people is looking for the "sweetest" tomato. I personally don't care how sweet it is. I'd rather have a acidic/sour tomato that is flavorful, that tastes like tomato. Or is it just an improper use of the word "sweet"?
I have to agree with you Pieffe, "sweet" is really miss used word when referring to tomatoes. This year i'm growing 12 different varieties of tomatoes and never once had a sweet tomato.
me too, but the acid from eating so many acidy tomatoes when plentiful, gives me acid reflux. it is best if i eat less acid tomatoes because i know i am gonna eat tomatoes!!!
Thanks for the vid. I grow in raised beds in Sacramento and can usually plant tomatoes in early April. I also run a continuous compost container and often add to the raised beds. You make some good comments and I like your vids, sometimes people spend too much time reading /watching the web and dont get out there in their own gardens and work.Experience is a good teacher. thanks again.
i love your videos. youre so helpful. i planted my very first garden this year and am getting all my info mostly from you. again, thank you for sharing. one question. what does the " MI" in MIGardener? im from michigan and that was my first guess.
Luke, I really like you and I really like your videos. You are a wealth of knowledge. I like when I can learn fron people I formation that I can use. I also enjoy you busting myths, makes perfect sense to me and in essence, saves me time on trying silly Pinterest things. You speak quick and intelligently, I learn more from you in 12 minutes than other videos that I have watched for an hour. I am going to try to follow you and watch all you have to offer. I like when I watch a good video and it makes me want to go right outside and start,and with all your info, I'm going to do just that, I will keep looking for all you other ones. Thank youKevin okeefe
I don't want all my tomatoes to be really sweet. lol Variety probably plays a big role too. If you just want sweet, go for one of the proclaimed sweet cherry tomato varieties. This year I am experimenting with seed from the shop of an odd tomato I haven't seen since. Called "Lemonade". Little grape sized things that ripen quite fast, surprisingly close to what I took the seed from. Light yellow, not too sweet, but fruity and a little sour. I like it! Not that I would want all my tomatoes to taste like that, but I am growing like 20 varieties currently. lol
Luke great tips on growing sweeter tomatoes. I agree some of the advice you get out there is just downright silly. By the way I think I saw some cabbage moths was that just a teaser for a upcoming episode.
Google tells me that temperatures above 85 to 90 degrees slows ripening but I guess that's why it makes the tomatoes sweeter. I came here hoping to find out how to ripen my tomatoes but now I know that delaying ripening is actually better. Thanks, Luke!
Luke, when you talk about reducing the water by half, do you mean water half as much each day, or water less frequently? Thanks! I get a lot of your videos, and appreciate all your good info.
So, in conclusion.... STRESS will sweeten tomatoes. :)Slow ripening on vine will sweeten tomatoes. Did I miss the Asprin part? I have heard adding Asprin will sweeten tomatoes too. Oh, and milk. One you tuber swears a milk spray on the plants makes them sweeter.
I have found a lack of minerals to be a factor as well! We get caught up in all the organic material in our soil such as compost. but tomato's need minerals to sweeten as well! Like adding a little clay to your soil to up the minerals works well,..
Putting sugar in soil is so much worse than putting sand in soil lolz.... whoever recommended putting sugar in the garden should be promptly tarred and feathered. The vast majority of variability in sweetness of tomatoes is due to genetics. To get sweeter tomatoes, one must breed for sweeter tomatoes :) The tiny fraction of sweetness that is due to environment is mostly associated with photosynthetic capability. The larger and healthier and more leaf area the plant has, the more sugar it can produce. Also, you are right about more sun, darker leaves, less water, and higher temps all increasing sweetness. Some of the black Russian tomatoes I bought from you, which I pretty much never water, are literally sweeter than most grocery store apples.
This is what someone said online, and it did make me think: he said he fed his soil life dilute molasses, which he believed would free the plant from being their source of food, releasing the plant to build that sweet fruit.
Luke. More good, authoritative info. I love growing sweet tomatoes. A good year with Pruden’s Purple variety is a joy. A few years ago, however, I was in Italy and served a tomato slice as part of a salad. I thought it had been grown on another planet. I have grown great tomatoes but this Italian tomato was insane. I think the water and heat you spoke about may have been the secret sauce.
Are tomatoes sensitive to extreme heat? Say...95 degrees and above? This CT summer 6a has been HOT!! My poor tomatoes just could not handle it and stopped growing.
Sugars absolutely help the plant and will improve flavor and sweetness. I wouldn't use white granulated sugar though i would use honey, molasses or some sort of carbo load product like bud candy. Sugars help also with increased terpene production.
While it can enhance the flavor of tomatoes if you reduce watering, people should bare in mind that if tomatoe plants don't have enough water they're unable to uptake enough calcium which leads to blossom end rot so don't leave it to dry out too much.
I think I need to correct your views on temperature? The optimal temperature is 75-85 degrees. When temperature's are consistently in the 90+ range for long periods the tomatoes flowers will stop producing fruit I think?
+matanuska high High Heat Levels In hotter climates, high temperatures can sometimes play havoc with pollination. Hot spells, when daytime temperatures remain above 30ºC (86ºF) and, crucially, nighttime temperatures fail to dip below 24ºC (75ºF), have the undesirable effect of turning pollen sterile. Turns out tomatoes like it hot - but not too hot!
You are correct William. Here in Texas when the temps reach 95 and above consistently, tomatoes stop producing fruit. The only ones that will keep going somewhat -are the cherry tomatoes... but even they slow down a lot. This time of year I just keep watering enough to keep the plants alive, and in a few weeks when temps drop to 90 or so-they will start flowering again.
In Japan, they have the sweetest tomatoes. I mean like a fruit sweet. Basically they limit watering just so it prevents it from dying. I didn't know heat makes tomatoes sweeter...this explains why my tomatoes on the balcony are so much sweeter than from the community garden, I always thought it was because of watering and the fact that there are fewer fruits on each plant. Probably it's a combination of all of those things. Very nice video, thank you.
Very nice video. Thank you. But I was a little disappointed that you didn't mention the most important factor for tomato sweetness: variety! Many tomatoes are genetically predisposed to produce tart or even sour fruit while others are naturally sweeter. Starting with a variety that has proven to produce the sweetest, low acid fruits is essential for growing the sweetest tomatoes.
The difference between the myths and the truths is that for the most part, you can't control any of the truths. Shade, rain, and temperature are mostly out of our control. This would explain why people go to such lengths to do things that don't work, because they think they are doing SOMETHING.
I’m concerned that changing the watering habits of my plants will couse more and worse splitting I’d prefer to keep a consistent moist soil so there’s no risk of soil going from dry to wet etc. bad for the larger variety’s. Good video thanx for the tips.
I never have time to delay ripening tomatoes In UK, the summer is too short and I always end up picking so many green tomatoes at the end of season before they get blights in the cold.
Dude it’s definitely not “chemically impossible” that plants sharing a rhizosphere could influence terpene, sugar or flavonoid production. I don’t see how this is any less possible than soil nutrient availability affecting taste.
Warm and wet coarse aerated soil, lots of breathing room, lots of sunshine, they are a tropical vine, mine always do well with fish emulsion and composted chickity doo doo - basil for pollinators and pest deterrence keeps aphids away -bean plant for nitrogen fixation below the soil line.
S V It’s not really rambling. The title says myths AND truths to growing sweeter tomatoes. Prior to 7:03, he’s citing examples of things that are said to make sweeter tomatoes that actually don’t.
@@guyincognito5706 His content is great. He just takes 7 minutes to say what could be said in 2. It's a common problem in all of his videos. The kid loves to repeat himself.
I guarantee the basil knows the tomato is there and vice versa. Their root systems and the mycelium/bacteria networks connecting them share a lot of chemical messages, and they probably agree with each other about what the soil chemistry should be. Not changing sugar content in the tomato though, because that would obviously be easy to prove, assuming it's been tested. Sand is just a grain size, not the contents of those grains. If it is reddish orange/yellow sand (arkosic) instead of bright white sand, it has a lot of minerals that weather relatively fast and release nutrients like potassium.
Hi my Darling. How often would you Fertilize during the Summer x . You really are adorable. I tell my Hubs about all the lovely Gardeners i follow x 🌻🌼🦋🐞❤
I bought a very healthy cherry tomato plant. It was maybe 2.5 feet. I put it out on my deck early May. Killed it. Likes sun - not heat. How do you make that work?
I'm more interested in flavor than just sweetness. I've heard that minerals enhance the flavor of tomatoes. The suggestion was to use multivitamins a few times a year per plant. I absolutely know that mineral content in any plant affects flavor. Sommeliers prove that all the time by having to exactly pinpoint regions and vineyards with 100% accuracy. So, I would like to know your thoughts on enhancing flavors by enhancing mineral content. Seems to me this (mineral science) is an almost entirely unexplored genre of edible gardening.
Sweeten your tomatoes with table sugar. First do not pick until fully ripe. Next mix table sugar 1 part sugar to 5 parts water. Stir until the sugar is totally dissolved. Next buy a syringe and fill it with the sugar water and inject your tomatoes. You can experiment with other flavors. Try cocoa mixed with water and create chocolate tomaters. Maybe whiskey and make spaghetti you can get drunk on.
Sweetness is first genetic, find a variety of tomato you like. Overall flavor is greatly enhanced by giving plants the complete range of minerals that are beneficial for them. I use the Mittleider minerals. Not only will your vegetables taste better, your flowers will be more brilliant. Molasses adds some minerals, but probably not the full range, and a $13 package of minerals mixed with 25 lbs of 13-13-13 fertilizer plus 4 lbs Epsom salts will top dress a 20 x 40' garden all season. Yes, I still use compost, but you can't guarantee the nutrient content if you have to source materials from neighborhood leaves, and in containers or raised beds, plants need regular feeding. Here in southern VA tomatoes like a bit of dappled shade. The intense sun from noon to 4 pm can melt black plastic and cause 1 1/4" PVC to bend. I've been using a 20% shade cloth, but I might go to a 30%.
What about grapes? I once had a grape vine that made nothing but sour grapes. It was really discouraging. Nothing I could do made them any sweeter. I composted and mulched and fed the soil but they remained sour. I finally removed the vine to make room for a rose bush but what could i have done better...you know just in case i get the urge to try grapes again lol
Jennifer Ponzini ....depends what zone your u are in? And verity? I had a grape vine and were purple grapes ......but wow were they sour! That's what I got From asking around! I live in WA. State.
I remember reading that grapes don't produce sweet grapes when in very rich soil, they actually like rockt or kinda crappy soil they put all they can into making good fruit to spread it's genes, I'm not 100% sure but you should maybe look into it
What about using baking soda please? As I watched videos saying this as well... I live in the Pacific NW & this has not been a good spring as well as summer, so a bit concerned... Thank you, great video...
Myths about Sugar as Fertilizer is not just myth but a FACT..., i did test it on a Santol Fruit which was very sour when the fruit is ripe. i diluted it in 1cup of water about 3 TBSpoon of sugar after applying it for about 3weeks, the fruit of that Santol surprises me, it tastes sweeter.
Thanks for the tip. I have plant lots of things but need to plant tomatoes. I live in the Caribbeans. The weather is good almost all year round. Does this also apply for cranberries? All my life I have eaten cranberries that a bit sour, but my plant. the fruit is very sweat and the papayas also. They get lots of sun and I fertilize them once a month. Great video.
For the companionship of basil and tomatoes, you did not talk about the symbiotic relationship between the roots of the two. You talked about the aerial effect that of deterring the bugs but not of the effect at the root level. I think you should make research at that level because that is where there is an exchange as in all companion planting. Now whether it affect the sweetness of tomatoes, that has not been my observation, but I know, that tomatoes planted in companionship with basil affects the taste for the better. So a video on companionship and the contribution of plants between each other would be interesting. Ex. Some plants should not be close to one another between « at the root level » they prevent each other from growing. Why? Thank you.
Can adding TUMS as in tums for heartburn help add calcium to your soil to help prevent blossom rot. Was told by fellow gardener this would stop blossom rot.
When I transplant my cherry tomatoes, I always ad three Tums and a handful of epsom salts into the hole. I also add lime to the potting mix and stir it in before I transplant. I have never had blossom end rot.
I'm growing a container garden this year, because I had no one to till my large fenced in garden, so my ??? is how large a container should I use for tomatoes, Peppers, and zucchini. Nicky in Michigan
"if you can grow it slow you can play it fast... if you can play it slow you and grow it fast... no... if you can grow it slow you can grow it fast" - 2set when not practicing 40 hrs a day
I have a question for you Luke, I have container tomatoes that are only producing flowers but no tomatoes. It seems as if the blossoms are falling off and no tomatoes. What do you think could be the problem? Thank you and Congrats to you and your wife on the birth of your baby girl
It could be too much of heat. Thats the problem here. Also it could be lack of pollination. You need some bees in your garden.. I was going to ask the same question. Quite coincidence. I just added calcium nitrate to my tomato plants a couple of minutes ago. Waiting for good results..
we now live in Puerto Rico and I'm trying to get use to gardening in containers and raised stand garden beds.i live up high but on the ocean. everything is full sun in my yard. I want it to be organic.can you give me tips on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers,
salt air, heat, full sun, how often do I water them.when we live back in the states I used all my hay and chicken poop to fertilize our garden but I live in a gated community so don't have the land to garden in ground. but I can do containers. please help on organic fertilizers I can by at home depot
Lots of good stuff here. Our backyard tomatoes taste better than the cardboard crap in the supermarket, but I am aiming for something comparable to European tomatoes, which blow away anything I've ever tasted in the US. I will experiment with cutting our water in half this summer.
sbarr10 yes, European tomatoes, cucumbers are nothing like the cardboard ones in the US. it's the seeds as I've brought some over and grew them here. They're just pure heaven.
MYTHS>
1. Growing basil with tomatoes 1:29
2. Epsom Salts 3:07
3. Apply table sugar 4:50
TRUTHS>
1. Sunlight 7:09
2. Reduced watering 7:57
3. Increased temp. 9:45
4. Slowing the ripening 11:41
Thanks. The bitchiness was getting to me.
many thanks
I know a guy in Texas when he transplant his tomatoes gives it a handful of sugar Epsom salts and multi vitamin has the best tomatoes I have ever had it works he has 5 raised beds 16 plants a bed he gets between 1000 to 1300 pounds a year
I use epsom salt to help with the health of the tomato and pepper plants, and I plant basil and marigolds around plants to deter bugs.
I'd like to see an update. What have you learned in the years since?
??
I absolutely love your approach and explaining with scientific data. I am a “why” and “how” person and your explanations never fail me. Thank you
Even the worst garden tomato tastes better than the best store bought tomato.
Roaming Gnome With the exception of Campari cocktail tomatoes. Try Costco or Walmart.
Amen bro
Amen
The expensive heirloom tomatoes grown in Canada and sold in places like The Fresh Market or previously Earth Fare are pretty tasty.
You mean those waxy red globes in the produce section ?
The sweetest tomatoes I've ever grown were also the smallest variety and it grew from my cold compost and was first to ripen of any of my tomatoes by a large margin. It produced a crazy amount of them too and because they were small they made a great snack by themselves. Variety makes a huge difference to the glucose and fructose content. I also think a lot of people pick tomatoes way too early, and that larger varieties need more sun exposure to fully vine ripen and increase evapotranspiration to concentrate sugars.
It's amazing what people will fall for. As for me, I've found dancing naked at dawn around my plants works best....oh wait, that's what killed half my plants, caused 2 neighbors to have coronaries and a police visit to my home, so don't do that either!
Hahahahahahaahaha. One must dance naked around a fire during a half-moon waning. Hahahhaha.
Chris Dahl
Chris Dahl 😂😂😂
And you live where?????????? Just kidding...…..
wendy pearson right?! no chanting no tomatoes
Thanks Luke, you posted another fantastic video. I did all the right things for all the wrong reasons. The plants are usually watered heavily after planting, then we 'back off' of the water supply to encourage the roots to go deep into the soil (this might or might not be true), but our fruit is ALWAYS super sweet, and thanks to you, now we know why. Thanks again, Happy gardening !!!
I'm watching your videos out of order, but loving them.
The previous one, filmed July 2017, you helped us avoid blight by increasing air circulation with pruning bottom branches, fortnightly applications of baking soda remedy & sunny conditions. I can see you learnt a lot in just a year, as well. Thanks for sharing your successes & failures with us out here in youtubeland!
2:12 I'm so glad Mi dude got it correct that growing basil and tomatoes is a "hypothesis" (not a theory). So many people get those two mixed up and it drives me crazy (It's a hypothesis because growing basil and tomatoes is an "educated guess", but not scientifically proven which would then make it a theory).
I had no idea that trying to make tomatoes sweeter was such a popular thing with people.
I grew a beautiful crop of basil with my tomatoes and do not taste any difference in the tomatoes. But you're right to two scents together are wonderful.
Great info! I'm in costal SC, so I should do well with tomatoes this year. Last year my garden was a total failure (first attempt) but I'm much more educated this year thanks to your channel and a few others. Just ordered some seeds from you, I'm so excited to see what the garden will do this year.
I have one heirloom variety and one cherry that produces tons of fruit. Interestingly, when doing a side by side comparison, the cherry tomatoes are actually much sweeter than the heirlooms, but the heirlooms taste so much better, with a very rich and complex blend of sweet and tangy/acidic, whereas the cherries just taste sweet. So for my tastes at least, sweetness is not always the end-all-be-all in a tomato. Great video, thanks!
I'm confused when people is looking for the "sweetest" tomato. I personally don't care how sweet it is. I'd rather have a acidic/sour tomato that is flavorful, that tastes like tomato. Or is it just an improper use of the word "sweet"?
Just what I thought!
different colours will have different tastes....smokey or acidic or sweet
I have to agree with you Pieffe, "sweet" is really miss used word when referring to tomatoes.
This year i'm growing 12 different varieties of tomatoes and never once had a sweet tomato.
me too, but the acid from eating so many acidy tomatoes when plentiful, gives me acid reflux. it is best if i eat less acid tomatoes because i know i am gonna eat tomatoes!!!
That was awesome. Thanks for dispelling myths and giving a few helpful ideas. Would love to see more on this
Thanks for the vid. I grow in raised beds in Sacramento and can usually plant tomatoes in early April. I also run a continuous compost container and often add to the raised beds. You make some good comments and I like your vids, sometimes people spend too much time reading /watching the web and dont get out there in their own gardens and work.Experience is a good teacher. thanks again.
Hope - I'm trying Brandywine tomatoes in sacramento
i love your videos. youre so helpful. i planted my very first garden this year and am getting all my info mostly from you.
again, thank you for sharing.
one question. what does the " MI" in MIGardener? im from michigan and that was my first guess.
Yes he is in Michigan.
Luke, I really like you and I really like your videos. You are a wealth of knowledge. I like when I can learn fron people I formation that I can use. I also enjoy you busting myths, makes perfect sense to me and in essence, saves me time on trying silly Pinterest things. You speak quick and intelligently, I learn more from you in 12 minutes than other videos that I have watched for an hour. I am going to try to follow you and watch all you have to offer. I like when I watch a good video and it makes me want to go right outside and start,and with all your info, I'm going to do just that, I will keep looking for all you other ones. Thank youKevin okeefe
Roots can communicate information to other plants in the vicinity. It's a fascinating topic.
I’m reminded about David Attenborough’s The Secret Life of Plants. Great series.
I don't want all my tomatoes to be really sweet. lol Variety probably plays a big role too. If you just want sweet, go for one of the proclaimed sweet cherry tomato varieties. This year I am experimenting with seed from the shop of an odd tomato I haven't seen since. Called "Lemonade". Little grape sized things that ripen quite fast, surprisingly close to what I took the seed from. Light yellow, not too sweet, but fruity and a little sour. I like it! Not that I would want all my tomatoes to taste like that, but I am growing like 20 varieties currently. lol
Luke great tips on growing sweeter tomatoes. I agree some of the advice you get out there is just downright silly. By the way I think I saw some cabbage moths was that just a teaser for a upcoming episode.
Google tells me that temperatures above 85 to 90 degrees slows ripening but I guess that's why it makes the tomatoes sweeter. I came here hoping to find out how to ripen my tomatoes but now I know that delaying ripening is actually better. Thanks, Luke!
"The tomato doesnt know thw basil is there and niether does the basil know...its the sad truth.." 🌱😥
True that... or do they know...?🤔🌻
They know
There is proof that plants communicate with each other with releasing chemicals in the air
Wow Luke - this is great, but you've come so far since 2016. Thanks and congrats!
Great tips.
Only question is when to cut water in half? When fruit is bud, when starting to turn red, or....?
Luke, when you talk about reducing the water by half, do you mean water half as much each day, or water less frequently?
Thanks! I get a lot of your videos, and appreciate all your good info.
So, in conclusion.... STRESS will sweeten tomatoes. :)Slow ripening on vine will sweeten tomatoes.
Did I miss the Asprin part? I have heard adding Asprin will sweeten tomatoes too. Oh, and milk. One you tuber swears a milk spray on the plants makes them sweeter.
Thank you for your honest advise! I enjoy your videos!👍😀
I have found a lack of minerals to be a factor as well! We get caught up in all the organic material in our soil such as compost. but tomato's need minerals to sweeten as well! Like adding a little clay to your soil to up the minerals works well,..
Putting sugar in soil is so much worse than putting sand in soil lolz.... whoever recommended putting sugar in the garden should be promptly tarred and feathered. The vast majority of variability in sweetness of tomatoes is due to genetics. To get sweeter tomatoes, one must breed for sweeter tomatoes :) The tiny fraction of sweetness that is due to environment is mostly associated with photosynthetic capability. The larger and healthier and more leaf area the plant has, the more sugar it can produce. Also, you are right about more sun, darker leaves, less water, and higher temps all increasing sweetness. Some of the black Russian tomatoes I bought from you, which I pretty much never water, are literally sweeter than most grocery store apples.
Primitive Organic Garden are those like the black grim tomatoes?
Primitive Organic Garden that is scientific answer
This is what someone said online, and it did make me think: he said he fed his soil life dilute molasses, which he believed would free the plant from being their source of food, releasing the plant to build that sweet fruit.
Wish I had wrote that. Genetics, reduce water which will lengthen the growing time and exposure to sunlight.
Nothing wrong with sand. Sand is mostly silica and plants are largely made of silica.
Great video. I’m near Nashville. And got mine in the ground a few weeks ago. Very informative information. 👍👍👍🍅
I usually harvest at first blush to protect from pests and let ripen slowly on counter..
Luke. More good, authoritative info. I love growing sweet tomatoes. A good year with Pruden’s Purple variety is a joy. A few years ago, however, I was in Italy and served a tomato slice as part of a salad. I thought it had been grown on another planet. I have grown great tomatoes but this Italian tomato was insane. I think the water and heat you spoke about may have been the secret sauce.
Wow thank you ! This was a wonderful info ! Next year I'm going to use this in my greenhouse.
Thanks Bonnie! So glad the information reached you well.
I live in Louisiana, heat is not a problem.. lol. I love watching you helpful tips
According to the University of Florida studies, basil does indeed enhance the flavor of tomatoes.
Jesse Frolek Florida Florida.....
Can you post the study?
Are tomatoes sensitive to extreme heat? Say...95 degrees and above? This CT summer 6a has been HOT!! My poor tomatoes just could not handle it and stopped growing.
We have the same problem here. 2 things worked here:
1. Overhead / foliar watering before afternoon sun
2. Using shadenet - 30 to 50%.
Use shade over them
Thank you so much for imparting your knowledge in such a down to earth way. Love your show !!
Sugars absolutely help the plant and will improve flavor and sweetness. I wouldn't use white granulated sugar though i would use honey, molasses or some sort of carbo load product like bud candy. Sugars help also with increased terpene production.
While it can enhance the flavor of tomatoes if you reduce watering, people should bare in mind that if tomatoe plants don't have enough water they're unable to uptake enough calcium which leads to blossom end rot so don't leave it to dry out too much.
I think I need to correct your views on temperature? The optimal temperature is 75-85 degrees. When temperature's are consistently in the 90+ range for long periods the tomatoes flowers will stop producing fruit I think?
no they just stay green..
+matanuska high High Heat Levels
In hotter climates, high temperatures can sometimes play havoc with pollination. Hot spells, when daytime temperatures remain above 30ºC (86ºF) and, crucially, nighttime temperatures fail to dip below 24ºC (75ºF), have the undesirable effect of turning pollen sterile. Turns out tomatoes like it hot - but not too hot!
You are correct William. Here in Texas when the temps reach 95 and above consistently, tomatoes stop producing fruit. The only ones that will keep going somewhat -are the cherry tomatoes... but even they slow down a lot. This time of year I just keep watering enough to keep the plants alive, and in a few weeks when temps drop to 90 or so-they will start flowering again.
In Japan, they have the sweetest tomatoes. I mean like a fruit sweet. Basically they limit watering just so it prevents it from dying. I didn't know heat makes tomatoes sweeter...this explains why my tomatoes on the balcony are so much sweeter than from the community garden, I always thought it was because of watering and the fact that there are fewer fruits on each plant. Probably it's a combination of all of those things. Very nice video, thank you.
Very nice video. Thank you. But I was a little disappointed that you didn't mention the most important factor for tomato sweetness: variety! Many tomatoes are genetically predisposed to produce tart or even sour fruit while others are naturally sweeter. Starting with a variety that has proven to produce the sweetest, low acid fruits is essential for growing the sweetest tomatoes.
But on your debate on whether epsom salt makes tomatoes sweeter due to its assistance of the nitrogen would it be countered with good pruning????
The difference between the myths and the truths is that for the most part, you can't control any of the truths. Shade, rain, and temperature are mostly out of our control. This would explain why people go to such lengths to do things that don't work, because they think they are doing SOMETHING.
I tried companion planting this year to help keep bugs but it did nothing, same amount of bugs, basil did not help and a mess to clean up
I’m concerned that changing the watering habits of my plants will couse more and worse splitting I’d prefer to keep a consistent moist soil so there’s no risk of soil going from dry to wet etc. bad for the larger variety’s. Good video thanx for the tips.
splitshot71 overwatering tomatoes can give a mealy texture to them.
I never have time to delay ripening tomatoes In UK, the summer is too short and I always end up picking so many green tomatoes at the end of season before they get blights in the cold.
Dude it’s definitely not “chemically impossible” that plants sharing a rhizosphere could influence terpene, sugar or flavonoid production. I don’t see how this is any less possible than soil nutrient availability affecting taste.
I purchased your firtilizer Tifecta + my vegetables are taking off wow...I will be using this for my winter garden
Woohoo! Awesome! That is great to hear!
Samantha Hines if you don’t mind me asking what is a winter garden?
Warm and wet coarse aerated soil, lots of breathing room, lots of sunshine, they are a tropical vine, mine always do well with fish emulsion and composted chickity doo doo - basil for pollinators and pest deterrence keeps aphids away -bean plant for nitrogen fixation below the soil line.
7:03 is where he starts to address what makes tomatoes sweeter.
He DOES tend to ramble. His videos could be halved at least.
S V It’s not really rambling. The title says myths AND truths to growing sweeter tomatoes. Prior to 7:03, he’s citing examples of things that are said to make sweeter tomatoes that actually don’t.
@@guyincognito5706 His content is great. He just takes 7 minutes to say what could be said in 2. It's a common problem in all of his videos. The kid loves to repeat himself.
@@BSGSV "the kid?" How condescending and dismissive.
@@ms.rlsteele351 Only if you are someone like yourself who clearly views being young to be a negative.
I feed mine with apple cider.. my tomatoes taste gurt lush
I guarantee the basil knows the tomato is there and vice versa. Their root systems and the mycelium/bacteria networks connecting them share a lot of chemical messages, and they probably agree with each other about what the soil chemistry should be. Not changing sugar content in the tomato though, because that would obviously be easy to prove, assuming it's been tested.
Sand is just a grain size, not the contents of those grains. If it is reddish orange/yellow sand (arkosic) instead of bright white sand, it has a lot of minerals that weather relatively fast and release nutrients like potassium.
Hi my Darling. How often would you Fertilize during the Summer x . You really are adorable. I tell my Hubs about all the lovely Gardeners i follow x 🌻🌼🦋🐞❤
I bought a very healthy cherry tomato plant. It was maybe 2.5 feet. I put it out on my deck early May. Killed it. Likes sun - not heat. How do you make that work?
Elizabeth Deapen plants in containers have yo be watered everyday.
Also, protect the roots in pot from overheating. Plastic is worst. Wrapping the pot in something putting the pot inside something etc.
Great information Luke, thank you for sharing your knowledge with everyone!
🌾 Merry meet, merry part & meet again 🌿
I'm more interested in flavor than just sweetness. I've heard that minerals enhance the flavor of tomatoes. The suggestion was to use multivitamins a few times a year per plant. I absolutely know that mineral content in any plant affects flavor. Sommeliers prove that all the time by having to exactly pinpoint regions and vineyards with 100% accuracy. So, I would like to know your thoughts on enhancing flavors by enhancing mineral content. Seems to me this (mineral science) is an almost entirely unexplored genre of edible gardening.
Look up azomite to add minerals. San marzano tomatoes in Italy are grown in volcanic ash so there is something g to that
Sweeten your tomatoes with table sugar. First do not pick until fully ripe. Next mix table sugar 1 part sugar to 5 parts water. Stir until the sugar is totally dissolved. Next buy a syringe and fill it with the sugar water and inject your tomatoes. You can experiment with other flavors. Try cocoa mixed with water and create chocolate tomaters. Maybe whiskey and make spaghetti you can get drunk on.
I learned more things I didn't know before!!
Sweetness is first genetic, find a variety of tomato you like. Overall flavor is greatly enhanced by giving plants the complete range of minerals that are beneficial for them. I use the Mittleider minerals. Not only will your vegetables taste better, your flowers will be more brilliant. Molasses adds some minerals, but probably not the full range, and a $13 package of minerals mixed with 25 lbs of 13-13-13 fertilizer plus 4 lbs Epsom salts will top dress a 20 x 40' garden all season. Yes, I still use compost, but you can't guarantee the nutrient content if you have to source materials from neighborhood leaves, and in containers or raised beds, plants need regular feeding. Here in southern VA tomatoes like a bit of dappled shade. The intense sun from noon to 4 pm can melt black plastic and cause 1 1/4" PVC to bend. I've been using a 20% shade cloth, but I might go to a 30%.
I was told that putting ash around the base helps in sweetening fruits like tomatoes
I'm trying a 10% sugar solution and spraying on the foliage. Not the soil. The leaves can absorb the sucrose and help the plant.
bonzai07 won’t that attract ants?
What about grapes? I once had a grape vine that made nothing but sour grapes. It was really discouraging. Nothing I could do made them any sweeter. I composted and mulched and fed the soil but they remained sour. I finally removed the vine to make room for a rose bush but what could i have done better...you know just in case i get the urge to try grapes again lol
Jennifer Ponzini ....depends what zone your u are in? And verity? I had a grape vine and were purple grapes ......but wow were they sour! That's what I got From asking around! I live in WA. State.
I remember reading that grapes don't produce sweet grapes when in very rich soil, they actually like rockt or kinda crappy soil they put all they can into making good fruit to spread it's genes, I'm not 100% sure but you should maybe look into it
What about using baking soda please? As I watched videos saying this as well... I live in the Pacific NW & this has not been a good spring as well as summer, so a bit concerned... Thank you, great video...
Myths about Sugar as Fertilizer is not just myth but a FACT..., i did test it on a Santol Fruit which was very sour when the fruit is ripe. i diluted it in 1cup of water about 3 TBSpoon of sugar after applying it for about 3weeks, the fruit of that Santol surprises me, it tastes sweeter.
I really enjoyed watching your video on THE INTERWEB. thank you!!
I'm trying to grow things big inside my home, in a growbox. Lol so everytime you say grow big or go home, I feel like a rebel. XD
Thanks for the tip. I have plant lots of things but need to plant tomatoes. I live in the Caribbeans. The weather is good almost all year round. Does this also apply for cranberries? All my life I have eaten cranberries that a bit sour, but my plant. the fruit is very sweat and the papayas also. They get lots of sun and I fertilize them once a month. Great video.
Have you grown any cannabis ?
For the companionship of basil and tomatoes, you did not talk about the symbiotic relationship between the roots of the two. You talked about the aerial effect that of deterring the bugs but not of the effect at the root level. I think you should make research at that level because that is where there is an exchange as in all companion planting. Now whether it affect the sweetness of tomatoes, that has not been my observation, but I know, that tomatoes planted in companionship with basil affects the taste for the better. So a video on companionship and the contribution of plants between each other would be interesting. Ex. Some plants should not be close to one another between « at the root level » they prevent each other from growing. Why? Thank you.
Not true at all
What about using aspirin diluted in water sprayed on the leaves to protect against disease and sweeten the fruit?
"plants will not uptake anything from adding sand to your soil"
*cries in sandy soil*
im from troy i love gardening and your videos!
So as a really novice gardener I am wondering - Luke, when you say “reduce the water “ - by how much?
He says “by half”. Reduce watering by half with cause 20-30% increase in sugars in the fruits.
Basil and/or sugar will only sweeten tomatoes and other foods when used during cooking.
Can adding TUMS as in tums for heartburn help add calcium to your soil to help prevent blossom rot. Was told by fellow gardener this would stop blossom rot.
When I transplant my cherry tomatoes, I always ad three Tums and a handful of epsom salts into the hole. I also add lime to the potting mix and stir it in before I transplant. I have never had blossom end rot.
I learn something new from you every day, Luke. Thanks so much. I
Your awesome! Well done man.
Fungi helps plants communicate
plants do absorb sugars through their roots though.
And if they are stressed to make sweeter fruit,then they will crack
Some good potash helps during fruiting. Comfry tea great stuff.
what about bongwater or roaches? lol jk
To true.
You guys working on that silver play button or what? That would be cool.
I don't focus on subscribers as much as I focus on just reaching more people with the information that I think is so vital.
I'm growing a container garden this year, because I had no one to till my large fenced in garden, so my ??? is how large a container should I use for tomatoes, Peppers, and zucchini. Nicky in Michigan
????? CAN YOU USE MOLASSES FOR GROWING?
How to make your fruit trees produce sweeter fruit or just sweet fruit? Is there any fertilizer that I can use to make my fruit trees taste sweeter?
Do these tricks work with other fruit, like strawberries?
"if you can grow it slow you can play it fast... if you can play it slow you and grow it fast...
no... if you can grow it slow you can grow it fast" - 2set when not practicing 40 hrs a day
I hate that site too. I boil when I accidentally click on it. 🤦🏻♂️
I have a question for you Luke, I have container tomatoes that are only producing flowers but no tomatoes. It seems as if the blossoms are falling off and no tomatoes. What do you think could be the problem? Thank you and Congrats to you and your wife on the birth of your baby girl
I think it is blossom end rot. It is caused form infrequent watering or a calcium deficiency.
+MIgardener | Simple Organic Gardening & Sustainable Living Thank you
It could be too much of heat. Thats the problem here. Also it could be lack of pollination. You need some bees in your garden..
I was going to ask the same question. Quite coincidence. I just added calcium nitrate to my tomato plants a couple of minutes ago. Waiting for good results..
Or the flowers aren't being pollinated. I learned that from MI gardener.
dar 6bloc... i learned that in school
What about removing the leaves?
Epsom salt can cause poor drainage if used year after year
Haha that's why I go here first. Slowly kicking my bag of sugar so no one sees
what if you add some molasses(this is what will others add for plants) in the watering , will that help sweeten the fruit? Or Epson Salt?
So, if the fruit isn't drawing sugar from the photosynthesis process, where is it coming from.
Is it a myth that a tomato will ripen just as sweet off the vine once it breaks color?
Rock dust? How about for the long run? Seems like that would help, but I know you already use it.
we now live in Puerto Rico and I'm trying to get use to gardening in containers and raised stand garden beds.i live up high but on the ocean. everything is full sun in my yard. I want it to be organic.can you give me tips on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers,
salt air, heat, full sun, how often do I water them.when we live back in the states I used all my hay and chicken poop to fertilize our garden but I live in a gated community so don't have the land to garden in ground. but I can do containers. please help on organic fertilizers I can by at home depot
Lots of good stuff here. Our backyard tomatoes taste better than the cardboard crap in the supermarket, but I am aiming for something comparable to European tomatoes, which blow away anything I've ever tasted in the US. I will experiment with cutting our water in half this summer.
sbarr10 yes, European tomatoes, cucumbers are nothing like the cardboard ones in the US. it's the seeds as I've brought some over and grew them here. They're just pure heaven.